Central Valley Community Bancorp (CVCY) in Fresno, Calif., has named James Ford president of its bank.

The Senate is poised to vote on a massive, five-year farm bill this week that includes several provisions important for community bankers and agricultural lenders.

There were a lot of deals last month involving larger community banks, and prices rose nearly 60% from a year earlier. The results will only feed more of those kinds of transactions.

TGR Financial (TGR) in Naples, Fla., has added a former bank leader to its board.

Access National (ANCX) in Reston, Va., has named a veteran banker to joins its board.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, selected to succeed Karen Mills at the Small Business Administration, has a background in lending to Hispanic groups and women. But bankers hope she'll focus on shifting the SBA to more online loans.

Colonial Financial Services (COBK) in Vineland, N.J., has revised its third-quarter financial statements to reflect non-compliance with regulatory capital ratios.

First Bancshares (FBSI) in Mountain Grove, Mo., has completed its conversion from a thrift to a state-chartered bank.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., benefited from lower expenses in the fourth quarter.

UMB Financial (UMBF) Kansas City, Mo., has a new chief financial officer.

Contrary to sensationalistic headlines, community banks remain the lenders of choice for small businesses, who appreciate these institutions’ expertise and personal attention.

Attorneys Rusty Conner and Michael Reed are bringing their expertise in bank M&A and capital markets to law firm Covington & Burling.

The Idaho Department of Finance closed the $153.4 million-asset Syringa Bank in Boise on Friday. It was the first bank closed in the state in nearly five years.

There are too many things in M&A that buyers cannot control, including the willingness of the right targets to sell, economic conditions and the likelihood that desire will interfere with good due diligence, two Midwest bankers warn.

AltaPacific Bancorp (ABNK) in Santa Rosa, Calif., has agreed to buy Mission Oaks Bancorp (MOKB) in Temecula, Calif.

WSFS Financial (WSFS) in Wilmington, Del., realized some of the benefits of its M&A strategy last quarter.

Investors Bancorp (ISBC) in Short Hills, N.J., which is poised for a second-step conversion, saw quarterly profits soar on big loan growth.

For some, 2013 may be remembered as the toughest regulatory year on record. New regulation will likely slow this year, but scrutiny is expected to rise.

Salisbury Bank and Trust (SAL) in Lakeville, Conn., has agreed to purchase a branch from Union Savings Bank in Danbury, Conn.

The consulting firm Promontory Financial Group has established an awards program to spotlight efforts by small financial firms to serve the underbanked.